Jenny65
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
So I had my liver scan discussion with my GP today. It wasnt my normal GP as they are on holiday. I had been quite anxious as the Sonographer kept making comments like 'Fatty Liver and Fatty Pancreas too" and then when I asked for more information she said "oh I can't tell you anything it's the doctors job"
Anyway ive waited for a long time to get the results explained to me and also Analyse my liver enzyme blood results (Elevated ALT)
So he calls me at 6.40pm and I needn't have worried. He started by saying that my liver whist fatty was nothing to worry about, he said the official term is Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease but he didn't like calling it a disease and told me not to read too much on the internet, he said there are a lot of scare stories about sclerosis of the liver etc which basically is rare.
He said that my liver whilst fatty is what would be expected with diabetes type 2, and there was no signs of damage. He said a lot of people are walking around unaware they have a fatty liver and whilst not ideal its nothing that can't be treated with the same things I am using to treat my diabetes, weight loss and exercise is the key he said. I did feel relieved.
Then he went on to my results. He asked if I was aware that my ALT was 49 in 2011 (I said no, as no one contacted me from the surgery to tell me it was a high result), he then said "No, I am reassuring you, you had a level of 49 in 2011 and then 68 in July and now its 48. Your level whilst mildly elevated (should be under 35) hasnt fluctuated really in the last 10 years" he said that the figures that would worry him would be if they were in triple figures. So another one to relax about - so far so good...
Now comes the not so positive bit, He mentioned that my cholesterol level of 9.4 was one of the highest he has come across and said its is very unlikely I will be able to manage it with diet and exercise alone. He is aware I have another blood test at the end of the month and said he is OK to wait until those results before advising on statins but he said if he was me, he wouldn't hang around w waiting for the lipid clinic appointment in February to take the medication if he had those levels! He said the cholesterol wasn't my fault and not caused by diet but was metabolic and would need help to come down. He said he would hope to get my levels down to 5 or under. He said that he knows there is a lot of bad press about statins in the paper and if they turn out to cause me issues he will take me straight off them again. One issue I am concerned about is my mum, grandma and uncle all had Alzheimer's and memory loss and there is a link to statins and I remember seeing my poor mum not know who any of us where and my uncle was so scared he killed himself. I think if it did trigger dementia in me I would rather have a cardiac event than live for years not knowing who anyone is. I know that's a bit extreme but it did worry me. At the moment I have given up smoking (since 1st July when I was diagnosed) exercising, eating a healthy diet, losing weight and having benecol every day, I hope it helps me get as low as possible.
I have been told not to get hung up on glucose testing and instead to have the 3 monthly HBAC1 tests and to eat a healthy balanced diet, even including some carbs. I told him that I noticed a spike after eating a banana with my breakfast and he told me not to worry about the odd banana as I wasn't type 1 or on any medication or insulin, and just to eat a healthy diet and rely on my 3 monthly results.
I think he thought I had become a bit obsessed as the main message I got was, I was doing OK and my results were not that awful (except perhaps my cholesterol)
A
Anyway ive waited for a long time to get the results explained to me and also Analyse my liver enzyme blood results (Elevated ALT)
So he calls me at 6.40pm and I needn't have worried. He started by saying that my liver whist fatty was nothing to worry about, he said the official term is Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease but he didn't like calling it a disease and told me not to read too much on the internet, he said there are a lot of scare stories about sclerosis of the liver etc which basically is rare.
He said that my liver whilst fatty is what would be expected with diabetes type 2, and there was no signs of damage. He said a lot of people are walking around unaware they have a fatty liver and whilst not ideal its nothing that can't be treated with the same things I am using to treat my diabetes, weight loss and exercise is the key he said. I did feel relieved.
Then he went on to my results. He asked if I was aware that my ALT was 49 in 2011 (I said no, as no one contacted me from the surgery to tell me it was a high result), he then said "No, I am reassuring you, you had a level of 49 in 2011 and then 68 in July and now its 48. Your level whilst mildly elevated (should be under 35) hasnt fluctuated really in the last 10 years" he said that the figures that would worry him would be if they were in triple figures. So another one to relax about - so far so good...
Now comes the not so positive bit, He mentioned that my cholesterol level of 9.4 was one of the highest he has come across and said its is very unlikely I will be able to manage it with diet and exercise alone. He is aware I have another blood test at the end of the month and said he is OK to wait until those results before advising on statins but he said if he was me, he wouldn't hang around w waiting for the lipid clinic appointment in February to take the medication if he had those levels! He said the cholesterol wasn't my fault and not caused by diet but was metabolic and would need help to come down. He said he would hope to get my levels down to 5 or under. He said that he knows there is a lot of bad press about statins in the paper and if they turn out to cause me issues he will take me straight off them again. One issue I am concerned about is my mum, grandma and uncle all had Alzheimer's and memory loss and there is a link to statins and I remember seeing my poor mum not know who any of us where and my uncle was so scared he killed himself. I think if it did trigger dementia in me I would rather have a cardiac event than live for years not knowing who anyone is. I know that's a bit extreme but it did worry me. At the moment I have given up smoking (since 1st July when I was diagnosed) exercising, eating a healthy diet, losing weight and having benecol every day, I hope it helps me get as low as possible.
I have been told not to get hung up on glucose testing and instead to have the 3 monthly HBAC1 tests and to eat a healthy balanced diet, even including some carbs. I told him that I noticed a spike after eating a banana with my breakfast and he told me not to worry about the odd banana as I wasn't type 1 or on any medication or insulin, and just to eat a healthy diet and rely on my 3 monthly results.
I think he thought I had become a bit obsessed as the main message I got was, I was doing OK and my results were not that awful (except perhaps my cholesterol)
A
